Submission of Letters to 67 Top UN Officials

                                 Submission of Letters to 67 Top UN Officials On the Eve of the 40th Session of the HRC with the Aim of Call for Immediate Action on Sanctions

On the eve of the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council, and with the aim of protesting America’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, and the extensive and inhuman violation of all of the rights of the people of Iran through re-imposition of illegal sanctions, and condemnation of decision of the US President in international circles, the ODVV has sent letters to the UN Secretary General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant UN Special Rapporteurs, members of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, members of the Rights of the Child Committee and members of the Rights of People with Disabilities Committee.

The focal points of the letters are as follows:
- Information received by Iranian NGOs shows that the United States is systematically and fully and unofficially trying to prevent any financial transactions taking place between Iran and other countries for humanitarian imports that include food and medicine into the country.
- Denying the people of Iran access to food and medicine is not the unwarranted result of economic sanctions against Iran, contrary, studies have proven that since 4 November 2018, the United States has intentionally and continually blocked Iran’s access to food and medicine.
- The report of the HRC Consultative Committee on the negative effects of sanctions on the enjoyment of human rights(1) confirms that extensive violation of the rights of the people of Iran is the result of US sanctions.
- There are approximately 40 reports prepared by the UN on the effects of sanctions on human rights and are available on its website.
- The reports of UN Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures, Mr. Idriss Jazairy, regarding negative effects of sanctions confirm the violation of the human rights of the people of Iran through US sanctions.
- In this letter, the ODVV calls upon the addressees to utilise their international capacity to open the blocked humanitarian goods channel to the people of Iran.
- The ODVV deems the imposition of comprehensive and extensive unilateral sanctions in any situation as a violation of fundamental human rights and a form of crime against humanity.
- In view of the authority and mandate of each of the earlier mentioned international officials, in these letters, the ODVV asks for measures to be taken to reduce the heavy weight of sanctions from the shoulders of the people of Iran, vulnerable groups in particular. For example, the UN Secretary General has been asked to appoint a special representative from himself to review the negative effects of sanctions on human rights, as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures. This Representative in comparison with the current Special Rapporteur will have wider ranging authority.
- These letters also ask the Secretary General, the High Commissioner, Special Rapporteurs and the members of the treaty bodies committees to submit their operational recommendations to the HRC on the removal of any form of unilateral coercive measures, particularly US behaviors towards Iranian people, and in fact create a space for discussion, critique and prohibition of this anti human rights action.

1.A/HRC/28/74